interpellate
/ˌɪn.təɹˈpɛl.eɪt/
"interpellate" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“interpellate” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 12
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To interrupt (someone) so as to inform or question (that person about something).
Corpus desk
Index EN-interpellate · interpellate · English
interpellate · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 12 letters
- VOW-5 5 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "I" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | interpellate |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ˌɪn.təɹˈpɛl.eɪt/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “interpellate” in English
Rare enough to double-check
interpellate is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /ˌɪn.təɹˈpɛl.eɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.
Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for interpellate, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.
Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in 1599; borrowed from Latin interpellātus, perfect passive participle of interpellō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French interpeller. The correct English form is interpellate, spelled I-N-T-E-R-P-E-L-L-A-T-E.
Definition
- 1To interrupt (someone) so as to inform or question (that person about something).
- 2To address (a person) in a way that presupposes a particular identification of them; to give (a person) an identity (which may or may not be accurate).
- 3To question (someone) formally concerning official or governmental policy or business.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how interpellate appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
[…] a Master of Ceremonies' words "Ladies and gentlemen" […] interpellates those being addressed as an audience, and one that is differentiated by gender.
[…] the question may be whether the individual should let herself be interpellated as a feminist, a Christian or a worker. Perhaps all of these possibilities seem attractive, but they point in different directions […]
Etymology
First attested in 1599; borrowed from Latin interpellātus, perfect passive participle of interpellō, see -ate (verb-forming suffix). Cognate with French interpeller.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.